Custom Lithium Ion Battery Packs: Questions You Must Ask

Custom Lithium Ion Battery Packs: Questions You Must Ask 

Lithium ion battery packs have become the popular choice when it comes to powering golf carts. They bring the advantages of a compact size, higher energy output, lower discharge rate and quicker recharge cycle. 

Not just this, manufacturers now offer an option to customise the battery pack to match the energy requirements. 

But, when selecting a custom lithium-ion battery, there are a few concepts you must understand. We’ve discussed them right here. 

The first is the difference between primary and secondary batteries.  

A battery produces energy as a result of chemical reactions occurring between the electrode materials in a cell. These chemical reactions happen once or can be reversible. 

Primary batteries are single use batteries. Thus, the chemical reactions take place only once. They must be replaced after their energy producing capacity diminishes. 

Their counterparts, the secondary batteries are what we know as rechargeable batteries. Here, the chemical reactions are repeated for several hundred or thousand cycles (number varies based on the battery chemistry), thus allowing you to use the battery several times before it calls for a replacement. Obviously, secondary batteries offer better value. 

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable. 

Next, comes the drain rate of the battery 

This is a measure of how long your battery takes to discharge. It is an important factor as it determines the battery capacity. 

How fast electrical charges are depleted depends on the cell chemistry and type. Lithium ion batteries provide better drain rates as they are designed for higher load applications. 

Still on drain rates, one must also consider the different discharge modes. The three models are the Constant Resistance (R) , Constant Current (C) and Constant Power (P). In case of C, the current remains constant during discharge while in P, the current increases as the power voltage reduces. 

The discharge mode is important as it shortens or increases the battery life. 

What about self discharge? 

Speaking of batteries, energy is not generated only when it is connected between electrodes. The chemical reactions, though not to the same extent, take place even when the battery is not in use. It is a normal feature of a battery.

These internal reactions deplete the stored charge of the battery. The temperature and age of the battery have a major say in how much a battery self-discharges. Also, primary batteries tend to discharge a lot less as compared to secondary or rechargeable batteries. 

One needs to be careful especially of the room temperature where the battery will be stored. Extremely high temperatures not only cause a higher degree of self-discharging, they also reduce battery life. 

How long does it take to charge a battery? 

An important consideration especially if you are considering secondary or rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. While other batteries require an average of 8-14 hours for a full-charge, lithium-ion batteries can reach a full charge in 3 hours. A quicker charge, up to 80% capacity, is possible in under an hour. 

Along with all the pointers mentioned above, one must also ask about the type of charger that must be used for a specific lithium-ion battery, how temperature affects the battery, the best techniques to store a custom lithium ion battery and the shape of the batteries.